1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved railroad bogie and, more particularly, pertains to effecting the safe and efficient transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices for transporting truck trailers of various designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for transporting truck trailers of various designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of increasing the safety and efficiency of truck trailer transportation while reducing costs through various methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses a large number of devices including those for effecting the transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,865 to Pelz dated May 30, 1972 discloses a low-platform railway car bogie.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,169 to Viens dated Apr. 23, 1991 discloses a twin axle rail bogie for convertible rail-highway vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,772, also to Viens, dated Apr. 28, 1992 discloses a rail bogie for transporting semi-trailers with vertically movable king pin assemblies on common frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,358 to Kemppainen et al. dated Jun. 23, 1992 discloses bogie construction of a railway car.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,049 to Kobayashi dated May 25, 1993 discloses a railway vehicle bogie.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,602 to Richter et al. discloses bogies for rail vehicles.
In this respect, the railroad bogie according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of the effecting safe and efficient transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved railroad bogie which can be used for effecting the transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.